"Close your eyes!" Han Feng shouted sharply, while simultaneously reinforcing the light screen with all his might.
Even so, the intense flashes still burned through their eyelids and into their eyes. A few seconds later, when everyone opened their eyes with trembling hands, they saw that half of Mu Xiaoxiao's body was charred black in the sky, and the giant crystal shield had been completely evaporated; while Chi Shangling was in even worse shape, with four of her six tentacles broken off and the remaining two incomplete.
"Cough cough..." Mu Xiaoxiao spat out a mouthful of blood froth mixed with icy crystals. "I never expected that even a kept guard dog would have such strength."
Aya Ikegami didn't answer. Her tattered tentacles twitched, and thick, black liquid dripped from her vertical pupils. Suddenly, she looked down in Han Feng's direction, a strange smile curving her lips.
"Oh no!" Han Feng's hair stood on end. "Everyone, get down!"
Aya Ikegami's remaining tentacles plunged into her own abdomen, tearing out large clumps of writhing flesh and blood, which she then hurled at Mu Xiaoxiao. The flesh and blood deformed and multiplied in the air, instantly transforming into hundreds of tiny eyes the size of a palm, each beginning to accumulate terrifying energy.
Mu Xiaoxiao's expression finally changed: "Are you crazy?! Using 'Thousand Eyes Burst' in this spatial state?"
Her response was Aya Ikegami's hysterical laughter. The next second, all her small eyes lit up simultaneously—
"Starfall - Sky Dome!" Han Feng leaped up without hesitation, and the power of stars formed a hemispherical shield above his head.
The world lost its meaning amidst the blinding light and deafening roar. Han Feng felt like a leaf in a storm, tossed about by the shockwave and slammed heavily against the edge of the barrier. Only a piercing ringing filled his ears, and his mouth was filled with the taste of blood.
High in the air, Aya Ikegami's body swayed like a puppet with its strings cut. Her once alluring face was now withered like an old woman, her skin covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and of her six tentacles, only two stumps remained, drooping limply.
"Ha...haha..." Her laughter was hoarse and unpleasant, yet filled with madness. "Finally...it's all over..."
The smoke slowly dissipated, revealing the ravaged land below. Two-thirds of the buildings within the barrier had been reduced to dust, and the remaining parts were still ablaze with eerie blue flames. Aya Ikegami watched all this with satisfaction, her cracked lips moving slightly:
"Now... the ancient martial arts world of Country R... no, the entire ancient martial arts world of Earth... will be in my hands..."
"Oh? Really?"
A cold, clear voice suddenly came from the smoke and dust. Aya Ikegami's sinister smile froze on her face as she looked down in disbelief—
On the mudflats, Mu Xiaoxiao slowly straightened up. Her black robe was tattered, revealing her metallic blue skin beneath. Half of her face was burned beyond recognition, yet it was regenerating at a visible speed. Most chillingly, the space around her was unnaturally distorted, as if an invisible membrane separated her from the world.
"This... is impossible!" Aya Ikegami's voice suddenly rose, almost cracking, "How could you possibly emerge from a spatial rift...?"
Mu Xiaoxiao raised her hand to wipe the blue bloodstains from the corner of her mouth, revealing a chilling smile: "You're not the only one... at the Great Dao Realm."
These words struck Aya Ikegami like a hammer blow. Her pupils contracted sharply, and her tattered tentacles twitched unconsciously: "No...you were just..."
"Just what?" Mu Xiaoxiao chuckled as she rose into the air, her movements so elegant as if the fierce battle had never happened. "Just lackeys of the Youjing Clan? Just juniors in your eyes?" With each sentence, she rose a step higher, until in the blink of an eye she was level with Chishang Ling. "Chishang Clan Head, you are too arrogant."
Aya Ikegami hastily retreated, attempting to gather energy again, only to find her body completely empty. The "Thousand Eyes Explosion" had drained all her power, leaving her almost devoid of even the energy to maintain flight.
"You think you can reach the threshold of the Great Dao Realm by modifying the flesh and blood of those inferior creatures?" Mu Xiaoxiao shook her head with pity. "Pathetic wretch... Let me show you true power."
She slowly raised her right hand, palm facing upward. Countless eerie blue crystals precipitated from the void, converging into a bizarrely shaped spear. The spearhead was covered with eye-shaped patterns, each "eye" constantly opening and closing, emitting a teeth-grinding clicking sound.
"The Nether Crystal Clan's sacred artifact—'Thousand Eyes'." Mu Xiaoxiao gently stroked the spear shaft, as if treating a lover. "Although it's just a projection, it's enough to kill you..."
For the first time, genuine fear appeared on Aya Ikegami's face. Trembling, she raised her withered arms in a last-ditch effort, but she couldn't even maintain the most basic defensive barrier.
"Wait...wait!" Aya Ikegami's voice was hoarse. "We can cooperate! I—"
"Shh..." Mu Xiaoxiao put her index finger to her lips, revealing an innocent, girlish expression, "It's too late."
---This is the dividing line---
Han Feng coughed up a mouthful of blood, his stellar energy struggling to circulate within him. The "Starfall - Heavenly Dome" attack had nearly drained his energy, not to mention he had to protect the people behind him. The buzzing in his ears gradually subsided, replaced by Mu Xiaoxiao's chilling voice.
"—Killing you is enough."
He looked up abruptly and saw the dark blue spear covered with eye-shaped patterns taking shape in Mu Xiaoxiao's hand. Each "eye" made a soft clicking sound as it opened and closed, like countless teeth grinding together.
"Are you all alright?" Han Feng quickly turned around and scanned the crowd.
Liu Mengran's face was as pale as paper, but her eyes remained clear; Su Wanwan was panting heavily, supporting her knees, but she gave him a thumbs up; Dongfang Wantang's skirt was scorched at one corner, but she seemed to be unharmed.
"Brother Feng, you're really letting yourself get away with this." Wang Hao slumped to the side, his face still covered in dust. "Didn't you even ask how your brother was doing? I was jostled to death just now."
This teasing remark eased the tense atmosphere. Su Wanwan chuckled, "Serves you right! Who told you not to cultivate normally? Now you know how to cry in pain?"
Just as Han Feng was about to respond, his pupils suddenly contracted—high in the sky, Mu Xiaoxiao had already raised that strange spear, the tip of which was aimed at Chi Shangling's heart!
There was no time to think. Han Feng slightly bent his knees, and the remaining star power within his body surged wildly to the soles of his feet.
"Star Step!"
Space distorted beneath his feet, and the next second he appeared in front of Ikegami Aya. A dark blue spear pierced through with a piercing shriek, and Han Feng crossed his arms in front of his chest, the power of stars condensing into dazzling star patterns on his arm armor.
\"clang--!\"
A deafening clang, like metal clashing, reverberated through the sky. The moment the azure spear collided with the star-patterned arm armor, blinding sparks of energy erupted. Han Feng was propelled backward several meters by the impact, his boots leaving two dazzling star-like streaks in the air.
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